Celebration Isn't Always Fun
by Cartoon Cow
Summary: Prequel to a soon to be posted story. Its the anniversary of Michael's fathers death, and his mom isn't handling it well. Michael has some past secrets begin to reveal themselves starting with a break in. Summary kinda sucks.


**I haven't finished the entire series yet because I didn't get to finish the first season, so don't call me a copier or something like that, and I have this feeling that its not recognized in the show. Do we know how Michaels dad died? Anyway this is like a one-shot/ prequel for a story about that. Maybe.**

When I rolled over this morning, I knew I hadn't had as well as a goodnights rest as I should've had.

Today was the anniversary of my fathers death.

It hadn't really been the fact that my father was dead, it was more of how my mom would react. It varies though I don't know how she did during my absence, though used to, it was either A: Too chipper for Ma to be herself, B: Drowning in alcohol, or C: Constant reminiscing over old photo's in her silence- all day long.

I sighed, throwing my legs over the side of my bed, glancing at my watch already knowing it was well before 7am.

I decided to take a shower, short they usually were but today felt like it was going to be a long one, so I figured it wouldn't hurt to take a few extra minutes to bask in the warm water.

By the time I had gotten out of the shower and dressed I had already received a text from Sam saying he would be over soon with Fi.

I pulled out a cup of Yogurt from the fridge as my front door came open without so much as a knock. Ah Sam.

Fi came in behind him, shutting the door behind her with one swift movement.

I scooped a spoonful in my mouth, "Morning." I droned out.

Fi had bags under her usually perky eyes.

I furrowed my brows as she took my Yogurt from me and began eating it, "What's wrong with her?" I asked turning to Sam who was already into my fridge.

"Madeline kept her up all night. She's really broken up about today. You should probably go talk with her." Sam replied shutting the fridge door and popping the top of his beer.

I sighed, dreading today already, and headed for the door.

As I came down the steps to my loft I paused. Dads Charger sat in what you might call my driveway.

How would Ma react if she saw it?

What if it upset her worse?

I started back down the steps and climbed into the Charger, started it up and headed towards Ma's house.

By the time I had gotten there I was surprised the house wasn't burned down by a fallen cigarette in the hands of my drunken mother.

I stuck the car in park and headed up the front yard into my childhood home, which still smelled of cigarettes and a faint musty cologne. Dad's cologne.

"Ma?" I called from the front door.

I let it shut behind me and I walked towards the family room.

Ma was spread out in the recliner, scotch filled glass in one hand, half ash cig in the other.

I walked over to her, reaching for the glass when she jerked her hand away, spilling some on her pants in the process.

" Don't touch my liquor Michael." Ma said taking a sip.

I raised my hands in defense and sat down next to her in our old wooden chair.

" So….," I started awkwardly," How are you doing?"

Ma crushed her cigarette madly in the ash tray beside her," How do you think I'm doing Michael?" she huffed.

I pursed my lips, rubbing my hands together," You know what Michael." She said.

I looked up at her, waiting for her to kick me out of the house for the day, or to ask for another cigarette.

" I never told you or Nathan this, but your father cared more about you boys than he did his own life." She was starting to reminisce again although I was positive it wasn't a memory, more like a lie she had made herself believe.

I wasn't happy…about talking about dad like he was someone to be proud of. I wasn't proud of my father, he was a thief that stole from even Ma's family, and couldn't hold up a job that was as simple as mowing grass.

"Ma, dad loved that car, more than he loved us." I said matter-of-factly.

"No Michael!" Ma yelled throwing back her head and swallowing the rest of the scotch, "That isn't true!"

I stood from the chair stretching my hand out to hers, "Ma why don't you go on to bed and I'll be back by later."

She stared at me for a minute, then took my hand as she crushed her cigarette in the ash tray. I pulled her up, putting her arm around my shoulder as we eased into the bedroom.

I helped her onto the bed, pulling the messily thrown back covers over her in hopes their warmth would quickly sooth her to sleep so I knew she was safe.

"What I said was true Michael, I didn't lie when I said he loved you boys dearly." Ma spoke up as she clutched her pillow.

"What are you talking about Ma?" I asked.

I didn't get an answer though, she was already fast asleep.

I sighed and left, shutting her bedroom door on my way out, and locking the front door back behind me.

I climbed back into the charger, flipping open my cell phone as I turned the ignition, "Hey Mikey how'd that go?" Sam asked sarcastically even though I knew he was only trying to lighten my mood.

"As well as it could've Sam." I sighed, "I'm headed back to you guys."

" If you mean the loft we aren't there." He replied.

"O.K. sooo where are you?" I dragged out irritantly.

"We're fixing to hold up a pharmacy. See you back at the loft."

Click –

"Sam don't-!" I closed the phone, "Do anything stupid." I finished to myself.

* * *

After Sam and Fi had successfully made my day even harder for me, I was finally able to go back to my moms.

I lightly wiggled the door knob, hoping it was still locked. Of course, it wasn't.

I walked on inside, Ma sitting on the couch with her arm on the arm-rest, supporting her head while a cigarette hung between her pointer and middle finger.

I collapsed in the chair, glad to finally be able to sit down.

"I remember what we talked about this morning Michael." She started, somewhat unexpected to me.

I looked up at the ceiling, as if it had the answers to why she had remembered our conversation.

"One time, you and Nathan were both small, someone broke into the house. You boys were sleeping together on the couch." She smiled taking another reminiscent puff of her cigarette.

I sat in silence, not understanding what this story could possibly hold to my benefit.

"They broke in through the back door and through the kitchen where I had been washing dishes at the time. Your father, he was sitting at the table reading one of his old dumb car magazines." She smiled shaking her head in what looked like a form of disapproval. "He loved those magazines….."

" I held my hands up, dropping the plate in my hand- it shattered to a million pieces. It woke you up. They held a gun to my shoulder and demanded we give them whatever money we had. You father tried telling them we honestly didn't have one rare cent."

" Why because he lost it all at the track?" I inquired aggravated from my seat.

Ma's eye's narrowed, "No. We had actually spent it on baby formula for Nathan. Anyways, when they didn't believe him they jabbed the gun harder into my shoulder. You being the super hero you were back then- still are- ran over and hit at the man's leg with all the force your little fists could muster.

The other guy picked you up by your collar and held his gun to your head, requesting one last time for money."

" Wow I sound like a damsel in distress don't I?" I said dully.

"Stop with the sarcasm Michael, your father saved your life that day."

I stood up from the chair, opening the front door, "Sorry Ma, gotta run." I said letting it slam shut behind me.

As I crossed the yard I stopped, ….wasn't the hinge on the back door always broken?

I shook my head of my mother's story, I trusted her fully, her memory was one thing I never wanted to have to trust in. Ever.

**So there you have it, I've decided I'm going to make this a prologue to a multi-chaptered story about what truly happened to Michaels dad (again do we know what happened to him?) and I can tell you already its going to have something to do with Sam and Fi's robbery. If you favorite this I will PM you when I post the actual story. Please review.**


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